Polk and Highlands County Transmission Line Project

Route Announcement Fall 2018

Duke Energy announced plans in fall 2018 for a new 230-kilovolt (kV) transmission line in Polk and Highlands counties. 

We will construct a new transmission line in Polk and Highlands counties to serve the new Nucor Steel manufacturing facility located north of the city of Avon Park. Nucor is investing $247.7 million in the new plant, which will create 250 new full-time jobs and an estimated 338 indirect jobs.

The planned transmission line will be constructed from the existing Avon Park substation, located at 1172 Memorial Drive, Avon Park, to the site of the new Nucor plant located at the corner of Pittsburg Road and Pabor Lake in Frostproof. The approximately 7-mile line will run north from the Avon Park substation along the CSX Corporation vacant rail line to County Road 17A and west for 1 mile, then along the west side of U.S. Highway 27 North for approximately 2 miles to Nucor’s plant.

The general location of the line can be viewed on the map below.


View larger map

Project Detail

• Construct one 230-kV transmission line from the existing Avon Park substation to the new Nucor substation located on Nucor property. 
• The typical height of the structures will be 85 to 100 feet. The space between each structure will be 400 to 600 feet on average.
• Construction of the transmission line is planned to start in July 2019 following construction preparation activities and is expected to be complete by March 2020. 

Next Steps – What to Expect

Beginning in June 2019, pre-construction activities such as vegetation trimming, tree clearing and staking are expected to begin. 

•  Staking to mark the Duke Energy utility easement, also known as the right of way, will begin in June 2019.
•  In advance of the transmission line construction, and to allow safe and unobstructed access for our workers, crews may prune and/or remove trees that encroach on the Duke Energy easement.
•  Duke Energy representatives will contact property owners regarding any significant vegetation clearing, fencing or other encroachments on their property that may create an access or safety issue.
•  Work zones may be established to provide for the safety of our crews as well as the public. This may include temporary lane or road closures to set up equipment.
•  Crews may be using bucket trucks and other equipment to conduct their work, and contractor and company vehicles will be operating in or near the road. Drivers are advised to be cautious and slow down as they approach crews and their equipment.

There may be lulls between construction activities. We expect construction to be completed by March 2020. Once the project is completed, we will restore the easement as closely as possible to its original condition.